TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Indiana State Department of Health announced Thursday it has granted Union Hospital Terre Haute certification as an Obstetric Level of Care III and Neonatal Level of Care III.
This latest designation makes Union Health the only Level III facility for both Obstetric and Neonatal care within an 80-mile radius.
Union Hospital Terre Haute is proud to have an OB-GYN, neonatologist, anesthesia provider and a NICU dedicated respiratory therapist on staff and available in the hospital 24/7 for patients in need.
“The Perinatal Levels of Care certification was designed to ensure infants are born at hospitals that are properly equipped to care for potential complications,” Kristen Moore, Director of Maternal Child Services, said. “Union’s geographic location makes us unique because we are the only full Level III facility within approximately 80 miles”.
Indiana’s Perinatal Levels of Care rating system was signed into law in 2018 by Gov. Eric Holcomb as part of the state’s effort to combat high infant and maternal mortality rates. The system designates four levels of care to provide patients with information to help decide the best hospital for their delivery.
- Level I: Basic care for low-risk pregnancies.
- Level II: Level I care, plus special care for certain moderate risk pregnancies and infants.
- Level III: Level I & II care, plus specialty management of severe maternal and fetal complications.
- Level IV: Regional centers capable of Level I-III care, and management of the most complex/critically ill patients.
“The goal is for all women to have pregnancies free of complications, and for all infants to be born at full-term and healthy, but that is not always the case,” Moore said. “At Union, we are proud to be fully equipped and prepared to care for pregnancies that are high-risk, as well as deliveries that result in unexpected complications. Having the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the area allows us to handle severely ill babies without the need to transfer these infants out of the community”.
To learn more about Union Hospital’s Maternity and Childbirth services, go to myunionhealth.org and click on Women’s Health.
